1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printer, a printer driver, a printing system and a print controlling method, and more particularly to a printer, a printer driver, a printing system and a print controlling method for converting a specific character string contained in print data to a two-dimensional code and printing the converted two-dimensional code together with the print data or for printing a two-dimensional code that the converted two-dimensional code can be read surely by a reading device regardless of the performance of an output printer or a print mode.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, a two-dimensional code which remarkably improves the display of an amount of information as compared with a one-dimensional bar code has come to attract attention, and has begun to be used.
In contrast to the fact that the one-dimensional bar code is basically used as an identification (ID) code of merchandise or a product, the two-dimensional code is able to allow the code itself to be provided with information concerning merchandise or a product. Hence, if a two-dimensional code is imparted to the merchandise or the like, and the two-dimensional code imparted to the merchandise is read by a reader, it is possible to instantly read information concerning an item number and the merchandise which are allotted correspondingly to the two-dimensional code.
In contrast to the fact that, in the one-dimensional bar code, the bar code is displayed vertically or horizontally in a row, two-dimensional codes include a stack-type two-dimensional code in which one-dimensional bar codes are stacked in a plurality of stages and a matrix-type two-dimensional code which is encoded depending on whether intersections of a matrix are black or white.
As examples of stack-type two-dimensional codes, it is possible to cite Code 49, Code 16K, PDF 417, and the like, and as examples of matrix-type two-dimensional codes, it is possible to cite QR code, Data Matrix, Maxicode, Aztec Code, and the like.
Since the two-dimensional code is able to display information having a capacity which is several dozen to several hundred times as large as a conventional one-dimensional bar code, various generating tools for generating two-dimensional codes have recently been provided.
However, with the existing QR code generating tools, when a QR code is generated by taking into consideration the resolution of a printer which prints the QR code, and the generated QR code is pasted to the print data created by application software such as word processing software and spreadsheet software, troublesome operation has been required for performing operation such that the QR code is pasted to the print data created by the application software as image data.
In addition, there is another problem in that the QR code cannot be pasted to the print data created by an application software to which image data cannot be pasted.
Accordingly, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-264424 proposes a symbol printer and a driver for a symbol printer in which data (display data) to be displayed by a one-dimensional bar code or two-dimensional code symbol which is finally printed are received, and are converted to a predetermined symbol and printed.
However, although the above-described Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-264424 proposes a symbol printer which receives the display data, converts the received display data to a predetermined symbol, and prints them, but it does not propose a method in which a character string designated by a user is retrieved from the print data, is converted to a one-dimensional bar code or a two-dimensional code, imparts the converted code to the print data, and prints the print data together with the converted code.
In a case where a plurality of printers having different resolution are connected through a network, it is necessary to generate a code having a size and precision in accordance with the ability such as resolution of the printer of the destination such that the code printed by the printer of the destination can be read surely by a scanning device.
In a case where a toner saving mode for saving the used amount of toner of the printer of the destination is set, there is a possibility of a problem that the code printed out by the printer cannot be read by a scanning device because of its concentration deficiency or the like.